


The Auction

by arinemura



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, M/M, Romance, Suggestive Themes, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, but then awkward af, but you two are cute, did i forget to say this was cheesy?, poor steve, prepare for the cheese., so it's all good, steve wants the booty, tagging is fun, the sarcasm is strong in this one, then i'm sorry., unless you have only one, you're gonna lose a few teeth, you're smooth as hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-10-04 10:41:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17303123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arinemura/pseuds/arinemura
Summary: To raise money for rebuilding efforts, the Mayor of New York City has decided to hold an auction. What is she auctioning off, you ask? Why, the Avengers themselves, of course! Steve is less than pleased with this turn of events, but when he hears that a certain someone will be showing up at the auction, will Steve be singing a different tune by the end of the night?Originally posted to my Tumblr!





	The Auction

**Author's Note:**

> Using Steve Rogers and Trope 35 (To the Highest Bidder! An auction? For a person? Well, if it’s for a good cause) of @imaginexmarvel’s Romance Trope Writing Challenge!
> 
> No specific characteristics/pronouns mentioned, so have at it, people of the world!  
> (It’s my first ever fanfic, so please be gentle!)

“Stark, no.”

“Stark,  _yes_.”

“This is a bad idea.”

“ _‘Bad idea’_? When have I ever had a  _‘bad idea’_?”

Steve turned to fix Tony with a look.

Hands in the air, Tony groaned, “For the  **thousandth**  time – I didn’t mean for things to happen like  _that!_ ”

Two arms crossed.

“I thought everything was under control!”

An eyebrow raised.

“How was I supposed to know Mr. Big, Green, and Ugly was afraid of  _mice_?”

“Everyone’s afraid of something, Stark,” Steve sighed, resuming his walk down the corridor.

“Which brings us back to what we were talking about in the first place.” Tony rushed to stand in front of Steve. “All you have to do is stand on stage and look pretty. Nothing too scary, right? There’s no real reason-”

“Stark-”

“Ah, ah, ah,” Tony tutted, wagging a finger at Steve, “Didn’t your mother tell you it’s rude to interrupt someone while they’re speaking?”

Steve huffed, his lips tight, his jaw set.

“That’s what I thought. As I was  _saying_ – there’s no real reason for you to say no to the Mayor.”

“You just want to take me down with you.”

“Well, that’s a given,” Tony admitted, “but, more importantly, think of the Big Apple. You’re the one who’s  _always_  saying the Avengers should do more to ‘make a difference.’ What better way for us to show that than to-”

“Than to auction ourselves off to people looking for a piece of – what did you call it? –  _Avenger Action_?”

“That sounds a lot better when I say it.”

“…really, Stark?”

“Look – just give me a straight answer, Rogers.” Tony massaged his temples with the tips of his fingers. “Are you or are you not going to be in this auction?”

Steve looked away, crossing to the windows that lined the corridor.

It’s not like he  _wanted_  to turn the Mayor down. Steve just…wasn’t interested in being any old person’s plaything. He had his heart set on a certain someone – if he had a choice, he wouldn’t be going home with a random stranger, but rather with-

“If it helps any…your  _ **special somebody**_  will be there.”

Steve swung around to gape at Tony, who was giving him that trademark smirk of his.

Did he…?

“Oh, Rogers,” Tony teased, striding slowly towards Steve, “Rogers, Rogers, Rogers. Rogers. Did you  _really_  think I wouldn’t notice?” His smirk widened at the blush spreading violently across Steve’s face.

He did.

“Is it that obvious?” Steve winced, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I have enough blackmail to last you this life and the next.” Tony stepped closer. “ _But_ , I’m willing to keep your not-so-little crush under wraps  **if**  you agree to be in the auction. What say you, lover boy?”

“You’re not really giving me an option here, Stark.”

“ _You_  know that,  _I_  know that, we  _both_  know that, which is why you’re now going to say…”

“Fine,” said Steve, albeit reluctantly, “I’ll be in the auction. I’m not gonna like it, but I’ll do what I have to.”

“That’s the spirit!” Tony cheered, clapping Steve’s shoulders and giving them a good shake, “There’s really nothing for you to worry about, though. I mean, seriously, what could go wrong?”

* * *

Apparently, a lot could go wrong.

At first, everything was fine - the food was served, the drinks were flowing, the guests were mingling with one another.

Nothing in that ballroom was out of the ordinary…

…until the lights went out.

A single spotlight popped on, revealing the Mayor in all of her finery.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” she spoke, commanding everyone’s attention, “it’s time for us to begin the main event of the evening – the auction.”

One by one, the Avengers were asked to come to the stage. People started calling out their bids the moment he or she appeared. Once no one could top the highest bid, the Mayor handed off the Avenger in question to that bidder. Simple, right?

Wrong.

* * *

Nadine McBrady was a tough old lady. As a younger woman, she worked her way up from poor dish washer to successful restaurant chain owner in a matter of ten years. She managed to raise five children even after the sudden death of her beloved Henry – a feat not to be taken lightly. When her children had fully grown and left their family home, Nadine thought it’d be best to find herself a companion for the rest of her years. She’d never have thought she might find one at an  _auction_  of all places, but life is strange and the Mayor’s invitation was too good to pass up.

Elixa Palmerino was a young socialite. She was the only daughter of Maximus Palmerino, a major oil tycoon with questionable morals, and Marjorie Bisbór, a leading figure in the fashion industry. Having a silver spoon in hand since day one, Elixa had a desire for the more extravagant things in life like no other. Hearing about the Mayor’s auction at a lunch social, Elixa knew she just  _had_  to attend if she wanted to get her hands on  **something**  (not  **someone** , mind you) that would make her “friends” rage with jealousy.

It was no surprise that Nadine and Elixa did not see eye to eye. Each had their own values, their own stories, their own ways of doing things -  _of course_ , they weren’t going to get along very easily!

Which is why it was  _definitely_  no surprise when the two started a bidding war over Steve.

“Fifty thousand dollars!”

“ _Just_  fifty thousand, you old hag? You can do better than that. Eighty thousand dollars!”

“ _‘Old hag’_?” Nadine scoffed, now offended to the highest degree, “Let me tell you something, you little tart  – I may be older than you, but  **true**  beauty comes with age!”

“If true beauty means  **wrinkles**  and  **saggy tits** , I’d rather stay a little tart forever!” Elixa snarled, wearing a triumphant smirk when Nadine’s mouth hung open and her arms automatically moved to cover her bosom.

“ **That’s it!**  Bring it on, girlie!” cried Nadine, throwing her handbag to the side before taking up a fighting stance.

“Give me your best shot,  _grandma_!” Elixa taunted, thinking she could win this fight.

Oh, how wrong she was.

With a war cry that would have made her ancestors proud, Nadine pounced on Elixa, grabbing and yanking her hair in the process. Elixa let out a shriek before trying desperately to get Nadine off of her.

She was not successful.

People in the crowd tried to intervene –  _truly_ , they did. But when they saw Elixa start to fight back, well, who could blame them for wanting to save their own skins?

As the two women continued to hurl themselves at one another, Steve shifted awkwardly from one foot to the next. He did  **not**  want either of them to take him home tonight.

Hoping to make eye contact with someone who would take pity on him, Steve looked out into the crowd still gathered around the stage.

That’s when he saw you.

You were beautiful. Even when standing so far away from him, you captured his attention. (Rocked his world, more like it, but he’d never tell you that. Not unless he knew for certain how you felt about him.)

Steve couldn’t help but admire the way you held yourself – confident, composed, and…smirking?

Not that you didn’t look good while smirking. In fact, Steve dreamt  **a lot**  about you smirking at him while you… ** _tended_**   to him.

He could feel his pants tighten. Oh, this was  **not**  the time for  _that_  kind of reaction.

His eyes raked further up your face, stopping immediately on your eyes as they locked with his. Have you been watching him this whole time? Steve flushed.  _Well, this was awkward._

He was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts when your voice cut through the air.

“Seven hundred thousand!”

Silence filled the ballroom, everyone (save a few) shocked at the size of your bid.

“Sold!” exclaimed the Mayor, slamming her gavel into the matching sound block, “Come claim your prize!”

Maintaining eye contact with Steve, you strode towards the stage, the crowd parting around you in awe. You made a point to ignore the two sour-faced women glaring at you from the sidelines.

Reaching at the edge of the stage, you held your hand out towards Steve, that sinful smirk on your lips growing ever so slightly.

“Follow me?”

“ _Always_.” Steve could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. He hadn’t meant to say  **that**  out loud.

Your smirk only softened at his slip-up. Could this mean something…?

He didn’t have time to dwell on that thought, though. His only warning was the playful roll of your eyes before you took Steve by the hand and dragged him off the stage.

You two were too wrapped up in the feel of the other’s hand to pay much attention to the wolf whistles and catcalls that followed you on your way out of the ballroom.

* * *

Staircase after staircase, you two navigated your way through the historic building until you reached the roof.

The hustle and bustle of the city sounded below you. Even when it was this late out, the people of New York City were still wide awake and thirsting for life.

“Why did you bid on me?” Steve had to know.

You looked at Steve, a frown tugging at your lips, “Did you  **not**  want me to bid on you?”

“No!” Steve clasped his hand tighter around yours, securing you in place. “No. I’m really am glad you did. I just…don’t understand why  **you**  picked  **me**.”

Oh. OH!

It was your turn to feel hot and bothered. Would you tell him now?  _Should_  you tell him now? You could play coy for a while longer, sure, but you would just be pushing off the inevitable. Well, here goes nothing…

“I picked you because I’m in love with you.”

There. You said it.  _You said it._

Time to dig yourself a hole because you just sentenced yourself to Rejectionville. You figured you’d fit right in, though, because “Death by Love Confession” must be a common sight there.

Before you could send yourself further down the spiral of self-sabotage, you felt Steve intertwine your fingers with his. Heart racing a mile a minute, you glanced back at Steve (when had you even looked away?) and were surprised by what you saw.

Steve was smiling, but not in a way you’ve seen before. This was a smile Steve wanted to show you and only you. It was the kind of smile that made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It was the kind of smile that made you want to do nothing but lie in bed all day. It was the kind of smile that made you want to say-

“I love you too.”

Yes, that. That’s exactly what that kind of smile made you want to- Hold up. What’d he say?

Your mouth opened and closed repeatedly, only to stop when you whispered, breathlessly, “Can you say that one more time?”

“I said,” Steve chuckled, amused by how you were the bumbling (but adorable) one now, “I love you too.”

A sigh of relief escaped you.

“Good. Now I don’t have to keep myself from doing this.”

“Doing wha-”

You cut Steve off with a kiss.

Huh, he could get used to being interrupted like this…so long as  _you_ were doing the interrupting, of course.

And to think that everything started with an auction for people.

The thought made Steve smile into the kiss. It really was for a good cause after all.

 

**Extended Ending:**

“You never did tell me where you got that money from,” Steve quietly mentioned, holding you close as you watched your eight-month-old fall asleep in your arms.

You snorted lightly at your husband’s remark, caressing the top of the child’s head as a wicked smirk danced across your lips, “Who do you think dragged Banner out of his lab for Stark’s prank?”


End file.
